Tension truss for presser beds



Nov. 6 1923.

G. w. VOELKER TENSION muss FOR PRESSER BEDS 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 20. 1922 2 She ets-Sheet 2 m w W r wya h'ZaZiaz;

Nov. 6 1923.

' G. W. VOELKER TENSION TRUSS FOR PRESSER arms Filed July 20. 1922 V 3 mt (lawm n between the center and the ends.

Patented Nov. .6, 1923.

GEORGE W. VOELKER, OF WOONSOGKET, RHODE ISLAND.

TENSION TRUSS- FOB PRESSE E BEDS I Application filed July; 20,

To all whomitmag concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. V onn rnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Voonsocket, in the county Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tension Trusses for Presser Beds, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of my invention is to provide a rigid reinforcing truss to keep the pressing surface of the steam presser bed straight at all times, In theusual ro y 0th p e s, f r W i h my nven io is adapted, the cloth is passed around a steam cylinder and pressed between the cylinder itself and two concave presser beds situated on opposite sides of the cylinder. Great trouble has been experienced in manufacturing a presser bed which is not so heavy as to bear too much weight upon the cloth and yet strong enough not to buckle. OW- ing to the concave shape of the presser beds, and to the necessity of having a greater amount of metal on the outside Wall than on the inside wall, so that the. presser beds may conveniently contain the heat chambers, these beds when heated have a tendency to buckle outward in the center. Former attempts at controlling this expan sion and contraction have been made. The feature of these, however, has been to provide by means of a rod, bar, or otherwise, one adjusting point, to spring the presser bed back into alignment after it has buckled. My tension truss by means of its five or more points of support, its added Weight,

and special method of construction is adapted to prevent the presser bed from buckling at all, In other words, former adaptations have attempted to bend the presser bed back into aligmnent after it has buckled, whereas my invention aims at the prevention of all buckling. lVhen this process ofbending presser beds back and forth in different places has been repeated, the surfaces of the presser beds become so uneven to cause an uneven finish on the cloth. By eliminating this the life of a presser bed is also greatly lengthened.

A further object of my invention is to prevent buckling between the center, and ends of the presser bed. Presser beds prior to myinvention have only been constructed with at the most three points of support, one in the center. Buckling has taken place My in- 1922. Serial in. 576,311.

vention with its five or more points of support prevents this, and insures an even bearing surface throughout.

Another object of my invention is to provide a plurality of adjusting points for the presser bed. Former adaptations have only ntained One jack-screw, turn buckle, or other similar adjusting means. My invention by providing three or more'adjusting points which also act as points of support, provides means whereby the ends, center, or any part of the presser-bed may be properly aligned for use under different conditions of compression and temperature.

A further object of my invention is to provide added str to resist the buckling tendency before men tioned, in such a manner that the presser bed can still be compactly adjusted against the cylinder. Former adaptations secured somestrength by means of a supporting rod, the main ob ectof which, as explained,

was to bend the presser bed back into shape after it had buckled. My invention, as seen, provides greater strength. Other former adaptations imparted the desired strength by means of adding moreweight to the presser bed by center levers, blocks, or other buckling prevention means-1 My invention provides the desired strength, at the same ength to the presser bed,

time being much more compact and easy to adjust.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tension trussfor the purposes above mentioned which is detachably secured to the presser bed. Thus it will be seen that my tension truss may last during the life of several presser beds.

A further object of invention aims. at

the provisions of tension truss for presser beds, wh ch is compact, strong, simple, durable, and inexpensive to manufacture.

In thedrawings, Figure l is a fragmen tary end view, showing the steam presser beds and cylinder of the rotary cloth press.

Figure? is a rear elevation of a steam presser bed, with the tension truss attached.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a steam presser bed with the tension truss attached, show ing a portion ot the cylinder.

Figure 4: is a horizontal section along theline 4& in Figure 2.

'In the drawings, 1 is a steam cylinder, the

bearing journals 2 of which are suitably mounted on the frame 3 of the rotary cloth press, 4: and i are the steam presser beds mounted by means of levers 5 on opposite sides of the steam cylinder 1. Figures 2, 3 and 4 show the tension truss mounted on a presser bed 4. The presser bed 4 is shaped in the form of a crescent or half-moon, so as to partially encircle the cylinder 1 for pressing purposes, and contains the steam chambers 6. Steam is introduced into the presser bed 4 through the inlet pipe 7, and lead out through the outlet pipe 8. The pressing strain between the inner surface 9 and outer surface 10 of the presser bed 4 is taken up by means of cross webs 11. The metal is distributed as evenly as possible in thickness on both walls of the presser bed 4, so' that the longitudinal alignment of their pressing surface will be sustained against the expanding and contracting tendency of the heat. To aid this, as already pointed out, the presser bed 4 is reinforced by means of a tension truss 13, my present invention. On the outer surface 10 of the presser bed 4 are provided bosses 14 for the supporting posts 15. Bolts 16, bind the base plate 15 of the supporting posts 15 to the bosses 14. Bolts 17, rigidly secure the body portion 18 of the tension truss 13 to the upper ends of the supporting posts 15. The body portion 18, in the preferred form as shown, is of the usual triangular hollow truss construction. Its center portion 19 extends inwardly towards the center of the presser bed 4, and terminates in the portion 20 which is for a short distance parallel with the outer surface 10 of the presser bed 4. To save weight the body portion 13 is cored out as at 21 and cut out as at 21 Through a bore extending from the portion 20 to the cut out 21 in the body portion 18 is the bolt 22 which is threaded into a suitable socket '23 in the center of the presser bed 4. Thus the distance between the portion 20 and the outer surface 10 of the presser bed 4 may be varied by adjustment of the nuts 24 on the bolt 22. At the extremities of the body portion 18 of the tension truss 13 are attached the arms 25, which extend inwardly and which may be adjustably secured to the extremities 26 of the presser bed 4 in any convenient fashion. In the construction as shown, these arms 25 comprise the sockets 27, adjustable members 28 and the links 30. The body portion 18 has formed on its extreinities the threaded sockets 27. Threaded into these sockets 27 are the outer ends of screw members 28, which contain right and left hand threads on opposite ends and means for turning. The opposite ends of the screw members 28 fit into threaded sockets 29 of the links 30. The links 30 terminate in bifurcated ends 31 which are pivotally mounted on lugs 32 on extremities 26 of the presser beds 4, by means of pins 33. By turning the screw members 28 the length of the arms may be varied.

As hitherto explained, the main object of my tension truss is to reinforce the presser bed 4 and to keep its bearing surface in constant aliginnent with the surface of the cyl inder. it is obvious that .the posts 15 which firmly bind the presser bed 4 to the truss body portion 13 prevent buckling of the presser bed 4 at these points. 1t is also obvious that the arms 25 are so connected to the sockets 2? in the turned in outer ends of the rigid truss body portion 13, that the tendency of the ends of the presser bed 4 to buckle is firmly resisted. It is also obvious that the lock nuts 24 on the bolt 22 securely lock the rigid centrally extended portion 19 of the truss body portion 13 to the presser bed 4, and resist all tendency of the presser bed 4 to buckle at the center thereof. We thus see that at all live points of attachment the tendency of the presser bed 4 to buckle is firmly resisted. For adjustment for use under diifer-ent conditions of compression and temperature, the center bolt 22 and nuts 24 and end screw members 28 may be turned to vary the distance between the center extension of the body portion and the presser bed, and the length of the arms.

What I claim as new and desire to as Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable pressing truss for rotary cloth presses of the character described, comprising in combination, a presser bed, an enlarged truss body portion, supporting posts projecting perpendicularly outwardly from said body portion to attach the parallel surfaces of said presser bed and said body portion, and additional adjustable supporting truss members rigidly attaching said body portion to said presser bed.

2. An adjustable pressing truss for rotary cloth presses of the character described, comprising in combination a presser bed, a truss body portion to re-enforce the presser bed placed behind said presser bed, provided with a central portion projecting towards the center of the presser bed, detachable posts firmly attaching said body portion to said presser bed, arms extending from each end of said body portion to the ends of the presser bed, and detachable means for rigidly. adjust-ably attaching and securely looking said central extended portion of said body portion and said arms to the presser bed.

3. A tension truss for presser beds, of the character described, comprising abody portion, a plurality of presser bed supporting posts, means for mounting the posts on-the presser bed perpendicularly thereto and means for mounting the tension truss body on the posts perpendicularly to said posts, arms extending from said body portion to the ends of the presser bed, and means for attaching said arms to the ends of the presser bed.

4. A tension truss for presser beds, of the character described, comprising a body portion, a connection between the body portion and the center of the presser bed, adjustable means for varying the distance therebetween, a plurality of presser bed supporting posts, means for mounting the posts onthe presser bed perpendicularly thereto, and means for mounting the tension truss body on the posts perpendicularly to said posts, arms extending from said body portion to the ends of the presser bed, said arms having adjustable means for Varying their length, and means for attaching said arms to the ends of the presser bed.

5. An adjustable pressing truss for rotary cloth presses of the character described, comprising in combination, a presser bed, a

rigid truss body portion to re-enforce said presser bed placed behind said presser bed, provided itha rigid central portion projecting towards the center of the presser bed,.a bolt to attach said portion to the presser bed, and adjustable lock nuts on said bolt to securely lock said portion to .said presserbed, detachable posts firmly attaching said body portion to said presser bed, and detachable adjustable arms extending from sockets in the turned in outer ends of said rigid truss body portion to links pivotally attached to the ends of the presser bed for rigidly and adjustably attaching and securely locking said body portion to the ends of the presser bed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' GEORGE W. VOELKER. 

